Climate change and the development of alternative energy technologies (e.g. hydrogen fuel cell vehicles) are some of the most pressing global challenges faced by scientists and engineers today. These problems need to be addressed via development of new materials and innovative technologies. A rapidly growing area of research is in the development of nanoporous materials such as carbon nanomaterials, metal-organic frameworks or zeolites, which can be used to separate or sequester gaseous molecules. This allows them to be used for a wide variety of sustainable applications, for example, in the sequestration of greenhouse gases such as CO₂ and as hydrogen storage materials.

Applications are invited for a fully-funded PhD studentship investigating structure-property relationships in novel nanomaterials with specialized porous material structures. This work will result in the development of new materials systems with better properties.

The applicant should be an enthusiastic and self-motivated person with a background in Materials Science, Chemistry, Chemical Engineering or a related subject. You will gain skills in inorganic materials synthesis, materials characterisation and physical properties testing.

Good team-working, observational and communication skills are essential.

The successful applicant will work as part of an enthusiastic, well-resourced team of researchers, with access to a dedicated porous materials laboratory, which houses a comprehensive suite of characterisation equipment in the Department of Chemical Engineering.

Students with a First Class Degree in Chemistry / Chemical Engineering / Materials Science are invited to apply.